Oil Leads for More Sway, While Dollar Will Give Near-Term Triggers

Last week it was noticed that the crude oil prices see-sawed in a range before finishing higher. It was because the number of US oil rigs fell for the first time in seven weeks. It pointed a potential slowdown in domestic oil output.

It is estimated that the risk-off move in stocks and the dollar’s clout could be pressuring the oil market. It is believed that the fundamentals are weak. However, the buyers were able to overcome the negative effect with a powerful performance. The analyst reported that there is an expectation of a strong economy and a better outlook for demand.

Various trading commodities like corn, wheat, and soybeans are among the most complex forms of investing. Therefore, experts warn strongly against novices entering the venue. Such types of trades can offer the most rewards as well as the most risks due to wild price fluctuations.

Traders almost never buy or sell commodities completely. They buy a contract to either buy or sell the commodity at a future date and set price instead. And it is known as a futures contract.

Following are some of the basic facts that every commodity trader must know;

Some of the most commonly traded agricultural commodities are corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, rice, and cotton.

One can do trading either through a broker or through online trading systems.

Investors usually are required to put down a portion of the contract’s value to buy a contract. These minimums that are known as margin buying may vary greatly. For instance, holding a corn contract, costs $1,000, while holding a Standard & Poor’s 500 commodities contract costs $10,000.

You may be required to put up more money to hold onto the contract if commodities prices change enough to make the value of your contract worthless.

Depending on which way the contract moves contract holders either reap profits or pay losses.

You can minimize your exposure by ordering an offset, which would limit losses in case the commodity hits a particular price point. It is significant to monitor the rapid fluctuations in prices to minimize losses that are not covered by offset trades.

There is no necessity to purchase futures to trade commodities. Exchange-traded funds have issues that imitate the movements of various commodities, without the risks and rewards of futures trading.